Poultry
Empowering youths & sustaining economy through poultry farming On a farm in Ruwa, in Mashonaland East Province, north-east of Harare, a clutch of chicks has just been delivered. Some peck at one another, loitering around a warehouse which will soon become cramped as they grow. Outside the shed, Mr Lawrence Saya opens stacks of bags containing the feed they will eat during their sixweek-long lives. Mr Saya has been rearing chickens for a few years now. Although he failed to get a formal job after completing his studies, he never lost hope. Instead he has taken advantage of Government youth empowerment programs which have contributed to him having a successful poultry business. “Competition is stiff for work at large companies, and the positions youths are able to fill seem to decrease by the day.
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That is why I decided to venture into poultry farming,” said Mr Saya. Youths have taken a few notes from him as he is one of the entrepreneurs of today who is fearlessly venturing in an empowering poultry business. Encouraged by the impact they have seen, other youths from his community have started rearing poultry too. Ms Chido Zimuto, is one of the youths who has been inspired by Mr Saya. She said although she has faced challenges in her poultry business, she is still managing. “It has been challenging with the lockdowns we have been experiencing but with proper education I can manage to sustain my business,” said Ms Zimuto. For Ms Zimuto, engaging in the poultry business has
improved her life. Explaining her past she said: “I was poor and unemployed. When food prices in the market kept rising, I hardly had a choice to buy nutritious food for my siblings.” After managing chickens she now has many reasons to smile. “Because I raise the chickens I am in a position now to add eggs and meat to our plates and allow my siblings to grow well with adequate protein intake. I am also able to get some profits from the chickens that I sell. They enable me to send my siblings to school,” she said. Outside of this community, more and more youths are opting to raise chickens as an economic activity. With more than a year being dominated by Covid-19, food insecurity and other challenges, Zimbabwe is increasingly becoming a place where youths are exploring the possibilities of rearing poultry.
www.afriagrimagazine.com | July-September Issue 2021
